Ski boots - where to get them?

Kemik

Kemik

Kemik

Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2005
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Location
Widnes
Hi guys,

I think I might be lucky enough to go on two ski trips this year and after coming away with bleeding toes from hired gear I figured it was time to buy some custom fit boots.

Does anyone have any recommendations of places to buy them from that will be competitively priced but have staff who know what they are talking about? It's relatively easy for me to get to Chill Factore (Manchester) or London at a push.

Thanks!
 
If you can get to London easily, you can get to Cambridge. The guys at Ski Exchange are pretty well recommended by a lot of skiers.

Suppose it depends how much you want to spend and travel to get them but obviously worth it in my opinion, a good fitting boot is priceless.
 
Alienfish360 said:
Chill Factore - Manchester
Decathlon - Warrington (Do quite a bit of skiing gear here too)
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Cheers.

Any particular shop in Chill Factore? Snowandrock have a decent guide on their site but want to make sure I'm not going to get someone who is clueless. Obviously that is a risk with everything.

I should note, I live in Reading so any stores round there are fine too. My parents live in Widnes, Cheshire so the benefit of getting some from near there is that I can pop into Chill Factore to try them out.
 
TSA in Covent Garden - incredibly helpful staff. They have a separate ski and snowboard boot expert and they can really spend the time helping you out.

In the end couldn't see anything that quite had that snug fit, so opted for custom insoles which they have the machinery instore to do for about £80.
 
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Book your holiday in Austria and buy them when you're out there. You can not only get top class service, but you will get a proper idea for how they ski when you spend all day in them. You can then go back to the shop for adjustments and tweaks until they're absolutely perfect - Something you can't get when you buy them in a UK shop (You can fudge it if you're getting them at an indoor ski slope but it's not the same as a mountain).
 
I got mine from Ellis Brigham, cost just under £300 and the staff were friendly and helpful. Was only expecting to pick up some £200 boots but none of the cheaper ones fit. Didn't have a custom mould, but heat molded the stock one.
 
Paid about £220 for mine, and they were heat moulded, well worth the money. The rental boots i've had in the past have been so uncomfortable.
 
The best bootfitters I know about are Rivington Alpine in Chorley and Solutions4Feet in Bicester. The level of training and experience these guys have are on a completely different level to staff at the big chains.

That said many people do have good experience with the chains, especially if their feet are 'easy' (like mine). But if you have issues that go as far as bleeding, I'd recommend a trip to Chorley, rather than a higher chance of disappointment with someone less experienced.

These guys can and will go much further than just a heat mould if required to get a boot comfortable for your feet.
 
Ronald said:
The best bootfitters I know about are Rivington Alpine in Chorley and Solutions4Feet in Bicester. The level of training and experience these guys have are on a completely different level to staff at the big chains.
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Thanks for the recommendation. The guys at Bicester would be a good location for me but unfortunately they seemed a bit up themselves when I emailed asking if they price matched, their costs, etc (or maybe I'm just outside of their highly skilled target market?):

our diary is fully booked for weeks ahead so I am afraid I am not going to get into the price matching debate
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£150 price difference for the Salomon X Max 100 is quite big.
 
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Kemik said:
Thanks for the recommendation. The guys at Bicester would be a good location for me but unfortunately they seemed a bit up themselves when I emailed asking if they price matched, their costs, etc (or maybe I'm just outside of their highly skilled target market?):

our diary is fully booked for weeks ahead so I am afraid I am not going to get into the price matching debate
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£150 price difference for the Salomon X Max 100 is quite big.
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I guess the increased price justifies the service they offer. By the sounds of that reply they don't need the business of offering a lower price, if they have plenty of customers who are happy to pay.
 
Semple said:
I guess the increased price justifies the service they offer. By the sounds of that reply they don't need the business of offering a lower price, if they have plenty of customers who are happy to pay.
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To be honest, if I was booked up for so much time ahead (Outside the season) I would give you the same response. --- You go with these guys or Rivington Alpine because paying £150 extra, pretty close to guarantees your £700+ a head holidays for years to come won't get ruined by bleeding feet (Something the TS experienced on his hired kit)

If you're lucky, like me, whose feet are shaped exactly like the most conservative last in the Skiboot industry (Head Raptor fits me like a velvet glove, Rivington Alpine told me other makes have the exact same shape for some of their models) you don't need to use these guys... If you have troublesome feet, its well worth the extra money.
 
Got mine from snow and rock in covent garden. Think I spent about £300ish. Buying a good pair of ski boots is a must for anyone that wants to go on regular ski holidays. Try not to base your decision on budget. Different brands/ models typically cater for different foot sizes and shape (ie wide or narrow feet). You might find that the ones that suit your budget unfortunately don't suit your feet.
 
Just some advice. I have recently bought some new boots and there are a few things to keep in mind.

Make sure you spend plenty of time with the boot fitter to make sure you are getting the most out of your boots.

Tell them as much as you can about what ability you are at and when you are wanting to be.

As much as you want good looking boots, remember the majority of the boots are going to be covered by your salopettes. Its what's inside that matters!

Also another tip is purchase them somewhere in the UK that have qualified boot fitters available. Check their website and you will get a good idea on how much they pride themselves in this area. If you purchase them in the UK you will get a guarantee on them so go somewhere to try them out before you go on holiday and if you have any issues you can take them back to get the issues fixed free of charge. This isn't something you can do if you purchase them abroad!
 
zakjattaway said:
Just some advice. I have recently bought some new boots and there are a few things to keep in mind.

Make sure you spend plenty of time with the boot fitter to make sure you are getting the most out of your boots.

Tell them as much as you can about what ability you are at and when you are wanting to be.

As much as you want good looking boots, remember the majority of the boots are going to be covered by your salopettes. Its what's inside that matters!

Also another tip is purchase them somewhere in the UK that have qualified boot fitters available. Check their website and you will get a good idea on how much they pride themselves in this area. If you purchase them in the UK you will get a guarantee on them so go somewhere to try them out before you go on holiday and if you have any issues you can take them back to get the issues fixed free of charge. This isn't something you can do if you purchase them abroad!
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On the contrary, this is why it's great to buy them when you're out there if you can find somewhere good. You'll never be able to hammer them in the UK, but you'll know immediately on a proper mountain if there's anything wrong. You can then go back to the shop and have them adjusted as you ski, without worrying if the boots you got fitted in the UK are going to ruin your holiday after the first days skiing. Just set aside the first day of your trip for it and you're golden.
 
I ended up (accidentally) at Ellis Brigham in Milton Keynes. Three hours later and I walked out with a set of Atomic Overload 100's with custom soles and heated inners (my technical speak is noob). I know it is a freestyler boot but it was the best fit and I can have them set forward with a soft setting to help my technique skiing.

I tried on three different boots after she took my measurements and looked at my feet and legs from all angles. My problem is my toes need a fair bit of height space in the boot to prevent nail injury but these ones seem to do the job and gave the best feeling on my shins. I hate bruising the shins with rental boots!

They said it comes with an 18 month guarantee. If I have any issues, bring them back and they will adjust. If it still isn't fine they refund 70% of the cost. Sounds reasonable to me!
 
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